The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-07-27
conemaueh TownshIp Robberv.


Last Thursday evening. Mrs Rachel Heck
man. a widow living on a farm in Cone
maugh township, locked the door of her
house and went info the field a short dis
tance away 10 assist her son 10 bring in
load Of hay. The honse Of her son Jacob
stands oily few rods distant from hers and
her daughier-iu-law sat on the porch and
her .-rand-child, SoGng lad was playing
near BY when she left the house.
The old lady had been in the field but a
short time when her grandson came running
70 her, saying thai the door was open and he
believed there was some one in the house.
Mrs Hickman remembered that the lock
was bad-the screws being lOose-and think
ing the door had opened itself, she told the
boy 10 never mind. it was all right, and
went ON with the haying. Bur when she
came in from the iieid and entered her house
she found that the boy : suspicious were cor
rect. Tne door had be,sn prie,l open with a
cliisel taken from the tool box Of the now
ing machine which stood close by. The chis-
el had been lef behind BY the robbers in
their retreat. An examination of the house
showed that il had been thoroughly ransack-
ed from top 10 bottom. The bureau and
chest had been broken open and their CON
tents strewn upon the floor.
Mrs. Hickman had for years kept her
money in the house rather than trust il with
the banks. and when. almost freuzied BY the
appearance OF things, she went TO look for it
she found it bad been taken. Ingoll, silver
and paper money she had FIVE hundred dol
lars in the house. and every cent Of il was
gone. A note on John Dibert, Of Johnstown
was also missing. The money represented
the savings Of Mrs. Hickman for more than
a quarter Of century, and a considerable
part Of the gold had been IN her possession
since before the war Il has at last got into
circulation, however and viii probably new
er lind It's way back to the rightfnl owner, ex-
cept il might be through regular exchange
and for valre received Among the silver
was foreign dollar which Mrs. Hickman
once tried 70 pass in J0hnstown, but when
told il was moi worth one hundred cents she
refiisel 10 let il go for less.
Mrs. Hickman, r.. sif in such position
that. while slse could see her nlother-in-law's
house. she could no; s-e the foor. She says
she thought She heard = noise aboas the time
the robbers must have sprung the door. but
il ceased instantly aud WIS not rl.l,szlls-i. aud
she thought M more about il until the boy
discovered that the door was open Then
size sent him to the field, bur by the time old
Ms. Hickman returned 70 the house The
work was done and the robbers had got
safely away.
A FELLOWSHIP was missing. and was proba-
bly, used to carry away the money.
The bay says be saw a man above the gar
den in the afternoon. but he did not report
the fact. Levi Lehman gave stranger
loaf of bread in the afternoon, and by
spring on his place he aflerwari found where
il had been eaten. and two stone seals show
ezi THAI there lad been more than one al the
feast But beyond this there are no traces of
the rsbbers and probably never wiH be.
The bold rlscals are. however most likely
part Of the gang who On "Wednesday night
attacked Frank Blougl at his home at Stan
tons Mil. and relieved him Of one hundred
dollars in cash